Tennis: a landmark win for Great Britain
Great Britain “made no secret of their underdog status” as they took on France in the Billie Jean King Cup last weekend, said Tumaini Carayol in The Observer. France were the superior team on paper, and, on the basis of pressing their home advantage, had elected to play the match on clay – a surface not loved by most British players. When Katie Boulter was thrashed in her opening singles match on Friday, and Emma Raducanu then went a set and a break down to Caroline Garcia, the writing looked to be on the wall for Great Britain. But from that point on, everything changed, said Stuart Fraser in The Sunday Times. Raducanu turned around her match against Garcia – a former world No. 4 – to prevail 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. Boulter won her second singles, against Clara Burel, and then Raducanu again won in three sets – this time against Diane Parry – to give Great Britain an unassailable 3-1 lead. The victory means Great Britain progress to the 12-team final in Seville in November – which is probably their best result in the competition since 1990, when Jo Durie helped them reach the quarter-finals. (Britain participated in the 2022 finals, it’s true, but only by virtue of being the host nation.)
Could this occasion mark a watershed for Raducanu, asked Simon Briggs in The Daily Telegraph. Tennis has “rarely been a joyful business” for her since her unforgettable triumph at the 2021 US Open. But in her two matches, the 21-year-old played with a confidence that belied her lack of experience on clay. Her often injury-prone body held up well, and she displayed an impressively “icy temperament” as her match against Parry reached its climax: after letting slip a 5-2 lead in the third set, she swiftly regrouped, forcing a tiebreak, which she won 7-1. “I feel like I’m playing some of the best tennis of my life,” she said. “I really enjoyed this week.”